Apparatus for operating lifesaving buoys



Oct. 21, 1941. H, AMDAL 2,260,109

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING LIFESAVING BUOYS Filed Feb. 19, 1940 INVENTOR. H ANS AM DAL ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 21, 1941 r UNITED), STATE APPARATUS FOR OPERATING LIlTE S'AVING BUOYS HansAmdal, Seattle, Wash. Application February 19, 1940', Serial No. 321,724

4 Claims. (CL 917) This invention relates to life buoys and particularly to means for operating the same.

In the use of life buoys'or rings on ships and places from which persons may fall into the water it is important that the buoys be maintained in convenient locations and to be easily removed to be thrown overboard or into the water by any person in any direction for the benefitof a person in the water; and so removable without any special tools or any special knowledge therefor As a ship moving at knots per hour travels over a quarter of a mile a minute, or 22 feet per-second, it is frequently a matter of life or death to a person in the water that a life buoy. be provided withoutdelay.

Buoys have been providedforv use on ships in some cases by lashing the same to supports so that a knife .must be used before the buoy can be used. They have generally been attached by ropes thereby available from only certain positions. Reels for winding in the ropes or lines have been provided whereby the lines when wound thereon must be uncoiled from the outside coil thereafter. In such application the lines having been usually coiled when wet, thereafter become loose when dried and the outer coils therefor frequently become imbedded in the successive coils beneath the same and thus such lines are fouled or tangled and the free discharge thereof with the buoys is prevented. Such ordinary reels whereon such lines are ordinarilyleft when wound are usually free turning, and therefore continue to spin or revolve after suflicient line-hasbeen released therefrom thereby providing slack or tangled lines. Objects of the invention are therefore to provide an apparatus and assemblywith a life buoy or ring and line and means for operating the same in portable relation for use in one or more locations without delay.

Further objects are to provide a frame with a housing and ring adjustably supported thereon, and to provide a line from the ring adapted to pass through the housing together with a winding spool or drum adjustably disposed in the housing for drawing in the line. Said drum adapted to be withdrawn from the housing and line to permit the line to be drawn out freely from the center of the coil and to prevent fouling of the line when the buoy is thrown therefrom.

With these andother objects to be hereinafter shown I have illustratively exemplified my invention by the accompanying drawing of which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the buoy and sent like parts.

housing with assembly for use, with parts broken away,.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the buoy in sectionand housing within the buoy taken on lines 2-2 of Fi 1.

Figure 3 represents an enlarged side elevation of the housing in section and the winding drum within the same in position for drawing in the line.

Figure 4 represents a side elevation of the housing with parts broken away showing coils inside thereof together with the drum in section Withdrawn from the housing.

' Like numerals on the different figures repre- Numeral 5 represents an ordinary life buoy or ring adapted to be thrown overboard from a ship to'support a person who may have fallen into the water. 6 represents a bracket or a hook showing that the buoy may be adjustably supported during transportation. The hook may be attached by a bolt 6 to the frame 1 which in turn may be adjustably connected to any suitable wall A of the ship as by hooks 9. A block I0 is preferably aflixed to the base of the frame as by bolt l2, against which block the lower side of the ring is sustained in spaced relation from the frame to enable any bystander to readily grasp and removethe buoy for launching.

Anysuitable line or rope I3 is employed for drawing in the buoy when launched- One end of the rope indicated as i4 is tied around the buoy, and the other end as 15 may be adjustably supported on a hook Hi, to prevent the entire rope passing overboard when the buoy is launched. The line is relatively of considerable length to permit the buoy to float for a suitable distance behind the ship after being launched. This supply of line is normally carried in coils indicated as H within a housing 18. The housing is preferably circular and of light sheet metal, with a base plate l9, extended around the walls l8 and in conjunction with a foot 20 thereof forms a flange 2| for normally retaining the housing in convenient position over the block Ill. The top of this block is concaved to conform to the housing and a groove 22 is provided along the inner side of the upper face of the block for retaining the adjacent edge of the flange. A button 23 is connected above the top of the flange as on any pivot 24 for normally latching the top of the flange for retaining the housing in desired position over the block and in convenient compact relation within the circle of the ring.

A doorway 25 is provided through the wall I8 for the entrance of the line or rope when being drawn into the housing; and a circular hole or aperture 26, is centrally disposed through the top of the housing for the exit of the rope when the buoy is discharged. The edges 21 of said aperture provide a guide or journal bearing for a winding drum. This drum may be formed with a metal sheathing indicated as 28 and filled With a wooden core 28' and performs the several functions of first drawing in the line and buoy and coiling the line within the housing as seen in Figs. 1 and 4, and also for drawing out the line as I5 from the aperture to be later tied around the buoy. The said drum is adapted to both slide and rotate within the walls 21. Afiixed n the outer end of the drum is a crank 29 for turning the same within the journal and within the housing. From the inner end of the drum a pintle 30,

is extended and adapted to rotate in a socket 3| in the base plate IQ for sustaining the said drum centrally within the housing when turned. A li-nch pin 39" may be temporarily inserted through a mortise in the pintle for temporarily retaining the inner endof the drum adjacent the base plate when the line is being coiled thereon. A channel 32 is longitudinally disposed through the core 28' adjacent the sheathing, adapted to receive and carry alternately the tips I4 and I5 of the line when the same is to be wound into the housing; and a notch 33 is extended from the lower end of the channel outward through the sheathing for disposition of the rope from outside the drum into the channel, to permit the inner end of the drum to rotate adjacent the plate. An eye 34 may be provided on the handle for sustaining the drum as on a stud 35 adjacent to the frame after the drum has been removed from the housing for convenience when the line is again to be drawn in.

In use the buoy is normally maintained on the frame andblock in spaced relation to be conveniently grasped for launching by any bystander in any direction and without any special knowledge or tools being required therefor. In event the accident has occured from a distant part of the ship, the housing with or without the frame together with the buoy may be carried in a few seconds to where the buoy is to be launched. The loop end of the rope indicated as I5 is readily released from the hook I6 and may be held in the hand or tied to the ship rail when removed to such new position. The end portion of the line to which the buoy is attached is first wound or coiled upon the drum centrally within the housing. Then successive coils or lines of the rope within the housing are continued outward thereon, therefore when the drum is removed the inner end of the line exsocket for a fulcrum as seen in Fig. 3. The linch pin may then be inserted if desired. The operator next turns the crank and drum and Winds the ropeinward through the side door and it recoils again within the housing till the buoy has been drawn in. The buoy is then untending from the central aperture will flow and 7 run out freely and not be fouled or tangled with any of the outer 00115; but will cease to flow out when tension on the ends of the line cease so that no unnecessary line will be discharged or become fouled. In order to haul back the rope within the buoy the operator unties the loop 45 that may have been used for connection over the hook l6 and withdraws such end 15 out through the aperture 26 free from the housing. He next reverses the position of the rope and inserts the same and with tip l5 back through the side door 25 and outward from the central opening 26, and threads the tip [5 upward through the channel 32 in the drum and then replaces the drum within the aperture and housing until the bottom thereof reaches the base plate 19 and. the pintle 30 projects through the tied from the end of the rope l4 and the drum withdrawn from the housing as indicated in Fig. 4. The rope I5 is then withdrawn from the channel 32 and tied to the buoy, and the other end M then looped over the safety hook l6; and the assembly is at readiness for a repeated launching of the buoy and the free discharge of the coils of rope centrally outward through the aperture 26.

While I have described the apparatus primarily for use on ships it may be profitably applied on wharves and piers from which persons accidentally fall into deep Water. Other uses may also be suggested for the housing and drum as described.

Having described my invention I claim asnew:

1. An apparatus for operating lines for life saving buoys, comprising, a supporting frame for removal from placeto place on a ship, a bracket on the frame for supporting the buoy, a block onthe frame for spacing the buoy therefrom to facilitate the grasping of the buoy, said block provided with a, groove for supporting a housing thereon, a housing for storing the line, a flange on the rim of the housing for adjustably retaining the housing on the groove and frame, said housing being provided with a doorway through the side thereof for the entrance of the'll'ne and further provided with a circular aperture through the top thereof for the exit of the line from the housing and also to guide a winding drum therein, a winding drum adapted to slide and rotate within such aperture and housing for winding and coiling the line within the housing, and adjustably disposed to be withdrawn from the coils tofacilitate the discharge of the line through the aperture from the inner coilsrespectively outward within the drum and said :druin provided with a channel longitudinally therethrough for temporarily retaining one. end of the line when the body thereof is to be coiled within the housing and for Withdrawing, such end from the housing and coil when line has been coiled. i r

2.".A11 apparatus for operating a ring life buoy line comprising, a line for drawing in the buoy having the ends .thereof free to be respectively connected adjustably to the ring buoy and ship, alternately, a circular housing adapted'for storing the body of the line between the ends thereof and .to'. adjustably rest within the ring buoy for compactness, said housing being provided with a passageway through the side thereof for entrance of the line and further provided with a circuiar aperture centrally disposed through the top thereof for exit of the line and to provide a journal bearing for a winding drum, a drum disposed to revolve within the journal for drawing the line into the said passageway and for, coiling the same within the housing and for withdrawing from the coils and the housing one end of the line to facilitate the free discharge of the line therefrom.

3. An apparatus for winding a' life buoy line, comprising, a housing provided with an opening one side for passage of the line, and a circular opening through the front portion for guiding a winding drum, a" circular drum providedwith a channel longitudinally therethrough adjacent one side thereof for retaining one end of the line when the body of the line is to be coiled within the housing, said drum further provided with a notch in the inner end thereof projected from the channel to the periphery of the drum to provide a cradle for the line between said channel and periphery and to permit the inner end of said drum to revolve adjacent the base of the housing, said base provided with a socket in the center thereof, a pintle onthe center of the drum projected from the inner end thereof for rotation within the socket for steadying the drum when turned.

4. An apparatus for coiling a wet line and for uncoiling the same when dry without fouling the same for a lif ring and the like, comprising, a housing for storing the line provided with a doorway through the side thereof for entrance of the line when wet, and provided with a circular aperture centrally disposed through the top of the housing for the discharge of the line when dry, walls around said aperture adapted to sustain a winding drum, a drum adapted to rotate through said aperture and housing for coiling wet line therein and around the drum, said drum provided with means for adjustably connecting one end of the line to facilitate the winding in of the line and coiling the same about the drum within the housing and further adapted for withdrawing such connected end of the line from said aperture for attachment to a buoy in position for discharging said line from inner coils consecutively outward to prevent the fouling of the line when discharged.

HANS AMDAL. 

